 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Delois D. Berry, MSW, ACSW, LCSW, Department of Social Services, Marion County Health Department, 3838 North Rural Street, Room 210, Indianapolis, IN 46205, 317-221-2358, dberry@hhcorp.org
“The Role Of the Social Worker in Community Emergency Preparedness”
Social workers are professionals trained to deal with some of the inevitable changes and unpredictable times in an individual’s life and in communities locally and nationally. These changes or events can range from natural disasters, relief planning for a community, or helping someone cope with death and loss. However, since the events in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001, the role of a social worker has been expanded to helping others deal with possible terrorist attacks in America.
Like the many other emergency trained professionals, social workers will be an integral part of an emergency preparedness team should a terrorist attack occur. This collaborative effort of preparedness will allow better service to the individuals and community affected. The objectives of this session are for participants to gain insight in the following areas:
·The role of the social worker in a disaster. ·A way to define and assist a patient/client in meeting their basic needs during a disaster such as reuniting families and helping families re-establish themselves afterwards. ·Ability to discuss key issues related to crisis intervention, assessment, referral and follow up. ·How to design a social work emergency response plan flow chart. ·How to help the community by providing education and information about what to do in a disaster.
Learning Objectives: